Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?

Posted by joyce1 @joyce1, Feb 25, 2017

Three months after colon resection I had a severe stomach cramp this morning and have not had a bowel movement yet. This is the first time this has happened. So far things have been good.

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@virgo1952

Good morning. It is early days for your healing. Although, I remember after my resection thinking “Is it over yet? I should be feeling normal by now”. I was told the same thing. It’s been a little over a year and I have learned what my body likes and not likes. I remember I suddenly hated anything sweet. Chocolate was out 😫. Maybe your experiencing gas buildup?gas pills might be a help. Maybe eat smaller meals more often. Stay away from raw foods. Certain foods for me would be hard to digest. Adding metamucil will help with your digestion and elimination without making your system overwork. These were my experiences after my resection. If it persists, getting your doctor’s advise is always a good idea. There’s a learning curve and it takes time and experimentation for each person. These are things not always learned in medical school and this site (for me) has been helpful in figuring it out. Keep at it! virgo52

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thats great advice ,,

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@grc10

Hi guys, I had a resection 3 months ago and I still get bloating, pain etc, any ideas?

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For me, the four month mark was magic - big changes and was able to start returning to normal and no longer thinking about it. At three months, I was definitely wondering if my life had changed for good. Now I'm spinning (cycling) again for 15 minutes of a normal workout and can eat most things without too much issue. Was kind of a light switch change, all of the sudden. I noticed that what seemed to coincide with it was a sudden loss of a lot of swelling too - potentially has to do with my lymph system finally reconnecting enough to drain effectively?

Anyway, have faith - you'll get there!!

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@grc10

Hi, yep maybe you’re right, it’s just that after eating on three occasions I get really bad stomach pain that lasts for hours. Could just be the new normal I guess, initially thought it was indigestion but we’ll see

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Good morning. It is early days for your healing. Although, I remember after my resection thinking “Is it over yet? I should be feeling normal by now”. I was told the same thing. It’s been a little over a year and I have learned what my body likes and not likes. I remember I suddenly hated anything sweet. Chocolate was out 😫. Maybe your experiencing gas buildup?gas pills might be a help. Maybe eat smaller meals more often. Stay away from raw foods. Certain foods for me would be hard to digest. Adding metamucil will help with your digestion and elimination without making your system overwork. These were my experiences after my resection. If it persists, getting your doctor’s advise is always a good idea. There’s a learning curve and it takes time and experimentation for each person. These are things not always learned in medical school and this site (for me) has been helpful in figuring it out. Keep at it! virgo52

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@grc10

Hi guys, I had a resection 3 months ago and I still get bloating, pain etc, any ideas?

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I am 13 months and still little bit sore xx it takes time , but you will get there ,

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@smudger6720

hi, 3 month is still a relatively short time and you body is still adjusting to a major operation, I am nearly 12 month from left hemi colectomy and resection , and still get some discomfort and sometimes bloating on left side , but scans so far have come back as everything is clear and ok. I have also read on here people who are experiencing this longer than 12 months . so I presume everybody is different and our bodies all recover at different rates... well thats what I am telling myself...

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Hi, yep maybe you’re right, it’s just that after eating on three occasions I get really bad stomach pain that lasts for hours. Could just be the new normal I guess, initially thought it was indigestion but we’ll see

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hi, 3 month is still a relatively short time and you body is still adjusting to a major operation, I am nearly 12 month from left hemi colectomy and resection , and still get some discomfort and sometimes bloating on left side , but scans so far have come back as everything is clear and ok. I have also read on here people who are experiencing this longer than 12 months . so I presume everybody is different and our bodies all recover at different rates... well thats what I am telling myself...

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@jacob73

Jesus mate, I'm very sorry you've been through all that! May I ask your age? That's quite a lot if sh*te to go wrong with repeated surgeries. What caused the leak? How did they address it? According to my doc that is something I don't need to concern myself with as I've never had any type of abdominal surgery.

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Hi guys, I had a resection 3 months ago and I still get bloating, pain etc, any ideas?

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@cdnmom

This was my experience too - even though I didn't feel I needed the stool softener even 4 months post op, it makes all the difference in the world.. not sure how long we should be taking it though - is this for life now??

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From my research it can be taken daily. My doctor told to take everyday for bowel health because bowel obstructions can reoccur.

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@riana1

Thank you for the warm invite. Definitely will consult with doctor. I had to reflect on changes I intentionally or unintentionally made to my diet and lifestyle that maybe impacting my healing. One change I unintentionally made was not taking my daily stool softener with Linzess. I restarted that regiment and feel a noticeable improvement. I also changed my eating habits. Eating at 9 am and again between 3&4 pm. Nothing after 4 pm. The pain has almost vanished. It’s one section around the mid to lower stomach area on left side that’s somewhat tender and slightly painful. I will give it a few days since its only been a few days making changes. Again thank you for sharing your thoughts and suggestion.

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This was my experience too - even though I didn't feel I needed the stool softener even 4 months post op, it makes all the difference in the world.. not sure how long we should be taking it though - is this for life now??

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@tazjess23 - I can see how exhausting this must be for you. It sounds like a serious infection. Is he being treated at home or in the hospital? Having Crohn’s doesn’t make it easier. Wonder if it’s a large abscess that could be drained?
Please get back to us when you have more news!

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